A Day in The Life
by demoisellecamille
Summary: Chief Toph Beifong takes four-year old Lin to work. [ONE SHOT]


**A/N:** _Written to celebrate 15k views of "Two Lines", and because I need some Tokka in my life; plus, a lot of you guys are actually asking me to write a follow up to my other one-shot, "Day Off" featuring Momma Toph and Baby Lin. Here it is!_

* * *

"Mornin' Chief," her secretary greeted as Toph opened the door to her office. "Coffee?"

Toph shuffled forward to her desk and slumped lazily on her swivel chair. "Black, half sugar. And some warm milk."

"Milk?" the secretary asked, looking at the police chief quizzically. Chief Toph Beifong always asked for black coffee – she liked her morning coffee strong and bitter, and it was mildly surprising to hear her ask for milk. "Will I put it in your coffee?"

"_Where'd that kid go?!"_ Toph barked, stomping her feet on the polished stone floor. "Lin!"

The secretary opened the door just in time to let the Chief's four-year old daughter come rushing in. _Ah, so that's why she was asking for milk_, she thought.

Little Lin Beifong skipped her way to her mother's desk, her soft black curls bouncing behind her. She was wearing a blue frilly dress with matching shoes – no doubt a gift from Katara, as Toph only dressed her child in what she deemed to be "necessary" clothes, no frills, no fancy cuts, just plain dresses and shirts. Lin looked at her mother's secretary with big, beautiful green eyes. "Hello!"

The secretary acknowledged her with a smile. "Hello, Miss Beifong. Nice to see you again – Chief, there are some changes in your schedule, would you like to hear them now?"

"After coffee, perhaps. Thank you, Ying-ying."

"Bye Ying-ying!" Lin called out as the secretary exited the room.

"Lin, I told you not to wander around HQ, right?" she reminded her daughter. "It's a big place, you might get lost." She felt her daughter standing in front of a glass shelf – it was where Katara made her display all the awards and accolades she received throughout the years. Toph thought them useless, in fact – but Katara being Katara, of course, convinced her to place them where people could _admire_ them.

"Mommy, this piece of stone has your name!" Lin said excitedly. She had only been in school for a few months, but she can already read and write her characters quite well. "T-To-Toph! It says Toph!"

But Toph didn't hear her – she was busy replying to a radio transmission – apparently there has been a robbery in the third quadrant of the city, and Toph was dispatching additional officers to the scene for backup.

"Mommy?"

"Yes – _YES_ we need backup at Shinnan Road – what do you mean the road is blocked? Well, go find some other way! I didn't train you meatheads to memorize the city layout for nothing, didn't I?"

"_Mommy!_"

"_They got away_?! What the fuck are you doing? Bend the shit out of the road, then! I don't wanna see you guys –"

"_MOMMY!_"

She slammed the receiver down in frustrations and turned to her daughter. "_WHAT IS IT?!"_

Lin looked at her mother, startled. Through her feet, Toph felt her child's heartbeat quicken. _Spirits, I must've scared her_, she thought. She was usually very patient with her child, not even raising her voice (or her hand) to discipline the girl. With her, it was always gentle but firm admonitions, something she learned from Katara. Taking a deep breath, she addressed Lin once more. "What is it, baby?"

Lin climbed onto a chair, sulking. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, darling! Come here," She said, patting her lap. "Sit on mommy's lap for a while."

Lin, obedient as ever, did as her mother said. She climbed on her mother's lap and rested her head on Toph's armor, listening with curiosity at the sound of her mother's muffled heartbeat.

"I'm not mad at you baby," Toph assured. Lin remained quiet. "I'm sorry I shouted at you, okay? I got carried away."

Lin just pouted, not even stirring from her seat.

Ying-ying entered the room just then, bringing with her a tray full of sweet bread and mugs of steaming coffee and warm milk. "Looks like someone is sleepy! Here's your coffee, Chief."

Toph took a sip, swilling the coffee in her mouth before swallowing it. "Give me a rundown of today's schedule."

Ying-ying reached for a clipboard and cleared her throat. "The first meeting of day will be at ten – er – it's in the City Hall, Chief."

"That's certainly new," she observed. "Agenda?"

"Quarterly budget proposal, Chief. I had it all sorted out, as you have specified a week ago. We just need to present it in front of the council for approval – "

Lin straightened up. "What's _budget_ mean?"

"It's a plan for all the money we will be spending," Toph replied. "Drink your milk, honey."

"As I was saying, Chief, the council will be expecting you at the City Hall by nine-thirty. The complete council will be in attendance, and they expect the meeting to be over by eleven-thirty. By one in the afternoon you will be briefing the special forces about Operation Phoenix; at two, you'll be screening the new recruits –"

"Mommy what's – _phoenix_?" Lin asked, slurping her milk.

"It's a bird."

"You have a pet bird here?"

Toph sighed. Lin was a very inquisitive child, very precocious and talkative – which was good, she thought, but sometimes Lin's questions got on her nerves, like right now. Toph wondered if her daughter was always this high-strung at Katara's. "That's the name of our work, darling."

"Why?"

"_Because_ – finish your milk, honey."

Lin grabbed one of the sweet, sticky bread rolls and stuffed it into her mouth. "Mommy can we go visit Ten-ten after you're done with work?"

Toph signaled for Ying-ying to pause reading for a while. "Two things, Lin – one, you have to finish your breakfast; two, Ten-ten is not a home, so we can't visit him."

"How about Uncle Twinkletoes?"

"He's not at home as well – and Katara and Kya and Bumi. Now, do as I say. If you're good I'll let you wear the police hat."

"Really?" Lin asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes."

"And can I get candy too?"

Toph patted Lin's head. "Yes," she replied. "So, Ying-ying – what about the new recruits?"

* * *

Toph was listening halfheartedly as newly-installed _Councilman_ Sokka drabbled on about the pros and con of allocating a larger budget to the police force. _Let's see you try to find a loophole in my proposal, meathead_, she thought, smiling to herself.

Since she cannot leave Lin in the headquarters, Toph took her along – but only after making the girl promise to be on her best behavior. She seated her daughter right beside her and equipped her with a thick stack of paper and coloring pens to keep her busy.

_Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu_

_Do make tomorrow a sunny day_

_Like the sky in a dream sometime_

_If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell_

Lin was softly singing one of those songs she learned in school – something she does whenever she was busy doodling on her paper.

_Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu_

_Do make tomorrow a sunny day_

_If you make my wish come true_

_We'll drink lots of sweet rice wine_

_Oh, it's that monk song_, Toph realized. _How can such a violent song be taught to kids_? She thought. After hearing it numerous times from Lin, it was clear to Toph that the song was about a monk who was beheaded after failing to bring good weather. It was weird – but it seemed like it was Lin's favorite, too – so Toph didn't mind it too much. She leaned in closer, both to listen to Lin and tell her not to sing too loud – but much to her chagrin, Lin started belting out the last stanza with a great deal of fervor.

_Teru-teru bozu, teru bozu_

_Do make tomorrow a sunny day_

_But if the clouds are crying_

_Then I shall snip your head off!_

She ended her song with triumphant peal of laughter, unmindful of the surprised stared from the adults around her.

Toph pulled her kid closer and whispered, "Lin, honey – please don't sing too loud. Mommy's working, remember?"

"Well – that was… _refreshing_," Sokka chuckled awkwardly. "What were you singing, Lin?"

"It's Teru-teru-bozu," Lin replied, color flushing her cheeks. Suddenly she was aware of everyone's eyes on her.

"I'm really _sorry_," Toph sheepishly mumbled. "Lin promises not to sing loudly while in a meeting – won't you, darling?"

Lin nodded, going back to her paper.

"What and adorable daughter you have, Chief!" Councilwoman Song, from the Fire Nation, said. "And such a lovely voice, too! You should bring her here more often."

"Thank you!" Toph sighed, relieved that the members of the council took Lin's little intermission in good humor. "Okay, Sokka – I mean, _Councilman_ Sokka – if you could continue, please."

* * *

"Hey, buddy! How have you been?" Sokka asked as they were exiting the City Hall. Lin was perched on his shoulders, a gentle breeze ruffling her hair.

"Mommy, you said I can wear the police hat!" Lin declared, remembering her mother's promise earlier in the day.

Toph laughed. "I said you could wear it if you were good, Lin."

"Tell her I'm good, Daddy!" Lin said, tugging on Sokka's wolf tail.

An awkward silence hung between Toph and Sokka. Suddenly Toph was mindful of the way her armor squeaked as she walked, while Sokka suddenly became aware of a loose thread on his shirt.

"He's just Uncle Sokka, Lin."

"Hey, Toph – it's okay. Lin can call me daddy, I really don't mind," Sokka explained. "It's okay, Lin."

Lin stuck her tongue out at her mother.

"I know what you're doing, young lady!" Toph yapped. Sokka spoiled her kid too much, if anything. "So, meathead, where're you taking us for lunch?"

"There's this awesome place just a block away – it sells the _best roast duck ever_. Wanna try it?"

"Sure – as long as you're paying."

"Yay! Let's go, Daddy!"

Toph just smiled. Out of all of her friends, it was Sokka whom Lin liked best – the kid looked up to him as if he was her father, so much that sometimes it bothered Toph. It wasn't that she disapproved of Sokka and Lin's bond – having a father figure to look up to was a good thing, of course – but Toph didn't want her daughter to get _too_ attached. Sokka was a bachelor, after all, and Toph knew that sooner or later her would find a girl and settle down, leaving Lin alone without her "Dad".

Lunch was a pleasant affair – the restaurant that Sokka chose for them was actually a quaint, hole-in-the-wall family establishment. It seemed to Toph as if business was kind of slow, even at lunchtime – but Sokka told her that the place "comes alive" at dusk.

"Lin, honey – you're not eating your vegetables," Toph told her daughter. "I can still smell them."

"How come I have to eat vegetables?" Lin asked, spooning out peas and carrots from her bowl.

Toph stuffed her mouth with roast duck. "Because growing girls need them."

Lin looked pleadingly at Sokka, as if telling him to come to her defense. To her surprise, Sokka agreed with her Mom. "You gotta eat those vegetables if you wanna be strong like your mom!"

"_Fiiiiiine_."

With her rather willful four-year old subdued, Toph returned to her and Sokka's conversation. "So – _councilman_, are you enjoying the job so far?"

Sokka put more meat in Lin's bowl, grinning as the child gleefully gobbled up the roast duck. "Yeah, apart from the formal functions – it's a great job. Free food!"

"Any plans to get an apartment around here? I mean, Air Temple Island's a bit _isolated_, you know."

"Actually, yes – there's a residential building right next to yours that's renting out some units. I went to check it out yesterday."

Toph helped her daughter to a glass of water. "That's nice! That means I can leave Lin with you when Katara's out," she jested. "She's a good girl, don't worry."

"I ate everything, Mommy!" Lin beamed, holding out an empty bowl of rice toward her mother.

Toph pinched her daughter's cheeks affectionately. "Atta girl! Let's get you some shaved ice after lunch. You like that?"

"Yes!"

Sokka looked happily at the scene before him. Toph wasn't certainly the type to settle down and have a family, and yet here she was, promising treats to a daughter who looked exactly like her. Sokka always thought that after Aang and Katara, he'd be the next one to get married and raise a family of his own, but after his and Suki's breakup years ago (when Toph was pregnant with Lin), he never really took anyone seriously. The last four years or so were a blur of drunken one-night stands and strings of women whom he can't even name.

Strangely, in between those "amorous" conquests, Sokka found home with Toph and her daughter. There was something comforting in "coming home" to Toph's sparsely decorated apartment and finding Lin waiting for him at the door, her bright green eyes sparkling with excitement. Most of the time though, Sokka thought he kept coming back not entirely because of Lin – maybe he came back again and again so he could see Toph.

He saw how Toph changed over the years – when he first met her she was a rebellious, twelve-year old earthbending prodigy. He discovered a kindred spirit in her, and he was quite sure Toph did, too. He was there was Toph blossomed into an attractive young woman; as stubborn as ever; he witnessed how she devoted her time to perfecting metalbending and how she tried to share it to fellow earthbenders; heck, for a time he was even protective of her – a young woman as beautiful and accomplished as Toph was sure to be swamped by marriage proposals. Sokka was even there for Toph when she had her first heartbreak – spirits, he was _there_ when she gave birth to Lin not long after.

"Sokka."

Sometimes – no – _most of the time_, he couldn't help but think that the reason he hasn't settled down was not because he was still hung up on Suki. Maybe, just maybe, he was waiting for Toph.

"Sokka!"

"Yeah?"

Toph rose from her seat, carrying Lin on her hip. "You're acting weird again. We gotta go. I still have stuff to do at headquarters."

He hurriedly wiped his face with a napkin, holding out both arms to take Lin. "Let me walk you there."

Without protest, Toph passed Lin to him – the kid was getting quieter by the minute, and Toph knew it was because Lin was feeling sleepy. There was no way she could carry Lin all the way to headquarters - Lin was steadily growing taller and gaining weight, and Toph often wondered how long it would take before her daughter outgrew her. Case in point, Toph knew she'd have a hard time carrying Lin while wearing her armor.

Lin gratefully wound her arms around Sokka's neck and rested her head on his sturdy shoulders. "I need a nap," she muttered.

"Are you sure you're not needed at City Hall, Councilman?"

"Oh – they can do without one Councilman for a few more hours, I guess," he replied as Toph settled the bill at the counter. Something about the dour expression on her face told him she didn't find it funny at all – or maybe she was just tired. "Or… maybe not."

"Still a meathead, after all these years," she sighed.

* * *

Since she knew that Lin would be knocked out for at least three hours, Toph laid her on the large couch in her office and left Ying-ying in charge while she attended to her duties.

_Ugh, damn this Moon Festival break_, she thought as she rushed from the conference room to the main atrium of the headquarters, where she was supposed to meet with the recruiting officers. The Moon Festival was a big celebration in Republic City, especially among those of Water Tribe ethnicity. It was a week-long celebration that most residents enjoyed, except for Toph and her officers. Her job was made much more tiring now because she cannot leave Lin with Katara – the Avatar and his family went to the Southern Water Tribe for a visit – so now Toph had to take Lin with her to work.

Halfway through the recruit screening, Ying-ying rushed to her. From her increased heart rate and rapid breathing, Toph could tell that she ran all the way from her office to the atrium. A flurry of excited whispers from the recruits erupted as soon as Toph turned her back.

"What is it?" she hissed.

"It – It's _Lin_, Chief!"

She felt her heart skip a beat. "Is something wrong?"

Ying-ying continued catching her breath. "Chief – I – I'm so sorry… I went to the pantry to fix myself some tea… and – and when I came back, s-she wasn't there!"

_Impossible,_ she thought, already feeling adrenaline rushing through her veins. Her office was equipped with a lock that she designed herself – it could only be opened via metalbending. "Did you lock the door?"

"Yes, Chief. I did."

_Shit_. _My greatest fear has come true_. Being a police chief notorious for swift and sometimes bloody arrests and chasing after crime syndicates, Toph Beifong made herself a common target among Republic City's underground. It wasn't unusual for her to receive death threats via phone or mail – and although she took these in stride, two years ago she realized that she wasn't the only target: an untraceable phone call made it known that if they can't take her down directly, they could always find a _more suitable_ target – Lin Beifong.

Turning to the party assembled before her, she said in a shaky voice: "Men, I'm afraid I have some – er – urgent business to attend to. Good luck – I'll see you after your qualifiers."

Toph rushed to her office as fast as her feet could carry her, with Ying-ying trying to catch up. _I can never forgive myself if anything happens to her_, she thought.

The moment she opened the door to her office, Toph used her seismic sense to feel the familiar vibrations of Lin's heart.

Nothing.

Another try.

Still nothing.

Ying-ying was shaking uncontrollably behind her.

"Stay here," she ordered. "If Lin comes back, I want you to shut the door and stay here. I'll scout the entire HQ. Do not call attention upon yourself, you hear me? And stop crying!"

She rushed outside once more, concentrating on the vibration of her daughter's heart. Out of all the heartbeats in the entire world, perhaps, it was Lin's that Toph memorized. She tried to zone out all of the noise in the headquarters, focusing instead on Lin's heartbeat, but each time she was greeted with deafening silence.

"Lin!" she called out. Her voice echoed around the hallway. "Spirits – baby, where are you?"

In her head she was already running a list of probable suspects – if Lin turned out to be abducted. There was a particularly messy arrest involving a Terra Triad boss some months ago, but his subordinates didn't express a particular vendetta against her, so maybe it wasn't them; she had an arsonist arrested too, but she wasn't really ever involved in the case – _shit._

What about Yakone?

Toph had been hot on his trail ever since she discovered leads tying him to mysterious instances of bloodbending without the full moon. He was a particularly slippery target, and Toph spent days on end organizing arrests to no avail. What if Yakone had her followed that day? What if Yakone and his cronies saw Ying-ying leave and –

"You listen to me!"

Toph stopped in her tracks.

"My Mommy is busy, so now I am in charge!"

It was Lin.

"Chief!" one of the detectives exclaimed when he saw Toph standing hear the doorway. "Look at your kid."

"I am Chief Lin Beifong!" Lin proudly declared. "I am the best earthbender in the world – that's what Mommy said."

"I can't see her," Toph whispered.

"Oh, sorry Chief – Lin climbed up the table. She's wearing your hat," the detective chuckled.

Toph rushed forward to collect Lin. "Officer Beifong!"

"Chief Mommy!" Lin squealed, jumping down from the table and running into her mother's arms. Toph lifted her and kissed her cheek.

"Honey, where have you been? I was so worried – I thought you were gone."

"I was looking for you because you weren't there when I woke up," Lin explained innocently. "So I opened the door, and then I went and they saw me Mommy."

"Who did?"

"The boys," she said, pointing at the officers huddled near them. Leaning closer to her mother, Lin whispered, "They thought I was you, Mommy."

"Really, now? Tell me, badgermole, how did you open the door?" she asked.

"Like this," Lin pressed a small hand on her mother's armor and made a twisting motion. Toph felt the metal give way to Lin's unspoken command, and when Lin lifted her hand, there was a discernible indent on the polished metal.

"What the –"

"Whoa."

"Chief! Your kid…"

"Did she just…"

Toph felt her heart leap. _Lin just bent my armor. My daughter can metalbend. Lin is a metalbender!_ She peppered her daughter's cheeks with kisses while Lin giggled. "You're awesome, Lin! You just made me very, very proud! You're a metalbender!"

"Like you?"

"YES honey, like me!" Toph laughed.

"Can I be Chief too?"

"Yes, baby – you can be Chief."


End file.
